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Friday, January 2, 2015

News from Across North Carolina, Jan. 2, 1920

“N.C. State News,” from the Elizabeth City Independent, Jan. 2, 1920

A Digest of Everything Worth Knowing About Old North State Folks and Things

--Due to the failure of water pressure at the critical moment, fire at Dunn a few days ago wiped out a considerable part of the business section of the town, causing a loss of about $100,000 which is partially covered by insurance.

--According to a recent census taken by the city health officer of Goldsboro, approximately 25 per cent of the people of that city have malaria. Plans are being made there for a vigorous anti-malaria campaign, in the course of which a determined effort will be made to rid the city of mosquitoes.

--General William R. Cox, one of the last ranking officers of the Confederacy, and who was past grand master of the North Carolina Grand Lodge of Masons, died at Richmond, Va., a few days ago. His remains were buried at Raleigh, his former home.

--When a Seaboard train crashed into an automobile near Wadesboro a few days ago, one of the children of Cleveland Smith, the driver of the car, was killed instantly, and another critically injured. Smith did not see the train in time to stop his machine.

--The Pilot Cotton Mills at Raleigh, which have been closed for more than two months as a result of a stroke on the part of the employees, have resumed operations following an agreement between the strikers and their employers including a recognition of their union.

--The American Trust Company of Charlotte has absorbed the People’s Bank and Trust Company of that city, according to a statement just given out for publication by the banking interest concerned in the merger.

--Twenty-seven women prisoners of the State Penitentiary at Raleigh were taken under guard to a theatrical performance in that city last Saturday night, as an Xmas treat. It was the first time that any of the prisoners had seen a show since being incarcerated in the prison.

--Efforts are being made to obtain a Federal appropriation of $5,000 to $7,000 per year to equip and maintain at Camp Bragg, near Fayetteville, a school for the children of officers and enlisted men at the camp. The nearby county school is already completely swamped by the overflow of children from the camp district.

--The General Education Board of New York City has agreed to give Davidson College, Presbyterian, $100,000, provided $1 million is secured in the big campaign now being carried on by the Presbyterians in North Carolina.

--A Christmas present of a week’s salary was given to each of the 1,200 persons employed at the Champton Fibre Works at Canton, near Asheville. The payroll of the company is about $31,000 per week, and this figure, of course, represents the cost of the gift to the concern. A Y.M.C.A. costing $25,000 was erected by this company last summer for the use of its employees.

--In recognition of the fact that Winston-Salem bought more Liberty Bonds than any other city in the State, the large Government steel freighter recently launched at Wilmington by the Emergency Fleet Corporation was named after the Twin City. A bottle of North Carolina mineral water was broken over the bows of the ship, instead of the champagne.

--On a recent afternoon while out gathering holly and mistletoe, two young ladies who live near New Bern accidentally located a large barrel, which upon close examination was discovered to be full of whiskey. It was turned over to the United States district attorney at New Bern. No clue as to the ownership of the fluid has been discovered.

--The sentence of Fred M. Roberts, formerly of Winston Salem, who was given 20 years in prison by a military court in France on the charge of desertion in the face of the enemy, has been reduced to not more than two years by the clemency board at Washington. The case was first reviewed by General Pershing, who reduced the original 20-year term to 10 years.

--A Christmas tree provided by the Social Services department of the Raleigh Woman’s Club was set up on the Chapel of the State Prison on Christmas Eve, and all those confined in the institution except the 12 who are in the death house awaiting electrocution were present at the celebration, which included the giving of generous bags of good things to eat to all of the prisoners. Speeches were made by Governor and Mrs. Bickett.

--After their automobile had been run into a ditch, turning over and tearing a hole in the gasoline tank, whereby the clothing of both men was saturated with gasoline, Berry Taylor and a negro, both of near Goldsboro, succeeded in righting the car and getting it out of the ditch. Then, when the motor had been started again, and they were preparing to go on, Taylor lit a cigarette, and in some way ignited his gasoline-soaked clothing. The negro, whose name could not be learned, went to his aid and in turn became enveloped in flames. Both men were burned almost beyond recognition, and their lifeless bodies were found by a second automobile party a few hours after the accident.

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